<p>Which engineering majors are the most physics intensive (other than engineering physics of course)? Which are the least physics intensive?</p>
<p>Are we talking E&M physics, or mechanics physics?</p>
<p>I dont know what the OP wanted to know. But I would like to know the answer for mechanics physics please.</p>
<p>I'd say either EE or CompE for the least physics since ChemE students still get a lot of fluids. Industrial Engineering could probably fit in there, too.</p>
<p>If you go deep enough you can get very intense physics in any of the common engineering majors except for industrial and maybe environmental (and CS if you count that as engineering). As aibarr hints above, it's hard to compare.</p>
<p>ESM is pretty physics intensive, I think.</p>
<p>Either EE or ChemE, and Materials (anyone know more about this, I'd like to know???)... You'll probably get more physics in ChemE and Materials at the undergrad level, but EE can get pretty physics-y. I'd suggest you look into undergrad and graduate curricula at the schools you are interested in, to get a good idea.</p>
<p>In EE, circuits have a lot to do with physics, though you don't need to know much physics to deal with the design aspect. All the stuff you do in E&M... resistance, capacitance, inductance, kirchoff's, potential, voltage, etc... its all physics. Engineering electromagnetics will also include an intro to Maxwell's equations, which I believe is what eventually led up to e=mc2 among other theories. Magnetic and electric fields also. Solid state and semiconductor device design, as well as nanoelectronics are solidly grounded in physics, though they are usually not standard components of undergrad education in EE.</p>
<p>I've only done one year of EE so far, and from what I can tell, physics will probably be between 20% and 40% of your curriculum depending on the classes and options you choose. EE grad school, OTOH, can be very physics intensive depending on what you do.</p>
<p>I would like to know which engineering major has the most theoretical physics, i.e. quantum mechanics, etc. I know this sounds stupid since most engineering is applied physics, but I would still like to know the answer.</p>
<p>Also, if possible, I would like to know which engineering major has the least type of any physics?</p>
<p>You'd pretty much have to go to grad school to get any real exposure to something like quantum. I believe, in EE, you will take at least one class that delves into quantum, but thats about it.
I was originally supposed to be a physics major but then got scared by its job prospects, and my priorities changed a bit... so I went with EE. If you really want physics, you won't be very happy with any type of engineering.
Also, you will probably take something like "engineering physics" in engineering curricula, which is not very theoretical.
As for the least amount of physics... I think it would be something like:
EE > ChemE > MechE > CivE
EE and ChemE are interchangeable... fluid dynamics vs E&M.</p>
<p>ChemE and EE have the most <em>E&M</em> physics. CivE and MechE have the most <em>mechanical</em> physics.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I would like to know which engineering major has the most theoretical physics, i.e. quantum mechanics, etc.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You might be interested in NukeE or some areas of Materials. I expect that some very theoretical EE would work as well.</p>
<p>If you get into computational materials science (such as modeling atoms and things like that on computers) you'll need a superb handle on quantum mechanics and solid state physics. There's also lots of it in the semiconductor fields, as well as when you're doing various complex materials with unique properties.</p>
<p>I would say computer science or operations research have the least physics. Electrical has a lot, as does materials, chemical, and mechanical. Civil definitely has more than CS or OR.</p>
<p>My biggest problem is that I hate physics but I absolutely love math. I like some parts of physics that are very mathematical( i.e. quantum mechanics, wave functions etc.) but for the most part, I don't like physics all too much. I am good at mechanics and E&M but I find them very mundane and boring. Any suggestions for an engineering major that would appeal to me?</p>
<p>I have thought about majoring in pure math but I feel like it would really limit my career opportunities to things that I am not interested in(i.e. academia) so I have decided against it.</p>
<p>How about majoring in applied math? You often get to do a lot of physics/engineering problems that way, but you still get to spend pretty much all of your time doing math.</p>
<p>Rancin thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely look into applied math, as it sounds interesting for a person with my interests. </p>
<p>I am also somewhat interested in computer hardware. What kind of physics can I expect in computer engineering (not computer science)?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies</p>
<p>If you like math, then why not look into EE? its generally known as the most intensive, math-wise. And computer hardware is essentially a sub-genre of EE.
If you're interested in fabrication, then you could look into the "electrical" side of material's engineering as well... It will probably include things like quantum and wave-theory (any mat sci majors out there?). Here's a sample schedule:
Materials</a> Engineering Electronic Option Curriculum
As an EE interested in math/physics, I find the above option fairly appealing as well...</p>
<p>All of engineering is basically applied physics.</p>